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Nightingale hospitals in England are “gearing up” for use if needed as the number of COVID-19 patients increases.
The London NHS has been asked to ensure that the Excel center site is “reactivated and ready to admit patients” as hospitals in the capital struggle.
Other Nightingale hospitals in England include Manchester, Bristol, Sunderland, Harrogate, Exeter, and Birmingham.
An NHS spokesperson said that while staff went “an extra mile”, London hospitals were under significant pressure due to high rates of Covid-19 infection.
He added: “The London NHS is opening more beds in the capital’s NHS hospitals to care for the sickest patients. It is crucial that people do everything they can to reduce the transmission of the virus.
“In anticipation of the pressures arising from the spread of the new variant of infection, the NHS London was asked to ensure that London Nightingale is reactivated and ready to admit patients as needed, and that process is underway.”
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the armed forces were waiting to staff Nightingale hospitals if the NHS exceeded its capacity for intensive care beds.
Speaking to Times Radio, Wallace said: “Of course we are ready to help with Nightingales if critical pressures go beyond the capacity of the existing NHS.
“I think we are in 17,000 ventilated beds currently in use, with a capacity of 21,000.”
“If you start pouring over there, then of course you’ll see that those nightingales are more active and, yes, we have a number of medical personnel.”
He said the Army currently had 5,000 personnel deployed in the Covid-19 response.
Trusts across the country continue to face pressure, and the number of COVID patients in England has passed the peak of April’s first wave.
And people have been urged to ring in the New Year by staying home and not mixing. NHS England National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis warned: “COVID loves the crowd.”
